The Wellfleet Elementary News

As we look ahead, we have a number of important events approaching. Tomorrow is a half day, and next week our entire school will participate in an all-school field trip to the Harwich Junior Theater to watch a production of Annie, offering students a shared learning experience beyond the classroom. Be sure to let us know by tomorrow (12/5) if your child needs a bagged lunch for this day.

Report cards will also be sent home next week, providing families with an update on student progress as we head into the winter season. In addition, auditions for The Lorax will be held for students in grades 3–5 on Monday and Tuesday, and we encourage all interested students to participate.

In the spirit of community, we are excited to share that Mr. Staker invites all students to join him in singing carols at the annual Holiday Tree Lighting on Friday, December 5th at 4:00 p.m. on the Town Hall lawn. This is a cherished tradition, and WES hopes to see many families there as we celebrate the start of the holiday season together!

Ho, Ho, Ho,

Principal O'Shea

The Brewster Book Store is hosting author and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds on Sunday, December 7th at 10:00am for a story-time and demonstration followed by a book signing. He will be signing his newest picture book, The Gift of Words, the follow-up to The World Collector.

Scholastic Book Fair is coming to the WES lobby soon! It will be open starting December 15th-December 23rd.

The Sugar Plum Fairy and the Nutcracker Prince would like to invite you to ring in the holiday season with a free performance by Reaching Heart's School of Ballet HeartStrings Dance Company. Comprised of talented local dancers, (a few you may recognize!), HeartStrings will be performing excerpts from their full-length Nutcracker at local venues! No tickets needed, just come and enjoy the Magic!

« Thursday, Dec. 4th at 6:00pm at Preservation Hall, Wellfleet

RHSB's full-length Nutcracker with the entire cast will be performed Saturday, Dec. 13th 1:00pm & 6:00pm & Sunday the 14th 1:00pm at Monomoy High School.

Homework Help is available to students in grades 2-5 after school from 2:00pm to 2:30pm on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. There is specific support available each of these days. On Mondays it will be Ms. Shuemaker and Mrs. Demeusy, Tuesdays Mr. Pursel and Mrs. Connolly, and on Thursday Ms. Lyman and Mrs. Botting. If you would like to sign up your child for Homework Help, please email Mrs. Belair in the front office at belairl@nausetschools.org.

Additionally, Mrs. Wallace will be inviting selected students mornings of Tuesday, Wednesday, and/or Thursdays from 7:00am-7:45am.

Santa and a Movie at Wellfleet Cinemas

Portrait Day at Truro Public Library

December Breakfast Menu

December Lunch Menu

Holiday Tree Lighting at Town Hall

Holiday Half-Day with Rec

Youth Open Gym at NRMS

Grow For The Holidays at Castle Hill

Wellfleet Rec Create Club

Wellfleet Rec Adult Open Gym

Cook Wanted!

BUC Winter Clinics

FleetFund Info

Rental Assistance

As you may know, the Nauset District has discontinued its use of ParentSquare and has transitioned to a new platform. If you download the Nauset App, you will receive all alerts, newsletters, and any other info from your child's school and the Nauset district. It’s the easiest way to stay updated with school news, alerts, and important announcements.

Similar to last year, I will continue using Smore to send out our weekly newsletters during the school year. These will begin the week before our return and will continue consistently throughout the year.

📱 Download the Nauset App:

• Apple App Store

• Google Play Store

I want to turn our attention to November, a month symbolized by giving thanks. Many of you may not know, but we have several students of Jamaican descent, and our thoughts are with them and their families as Hurricane Melissa impacts their island. For those interested in supporting relief efforts, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) are accepting donations:

• IOM – Early Response in Jamaica

• WFP USA Donations

In addition, with the looming cut in SNAP benefits, several families in our community have expressed concerns about food security.

As we move into the season of giving thanks, many families in our community are facing uncertainty. Some of our neighbors will not receive their SNAP benefits to help feed their families, federal employees working for the Cape Cod National Seashore are going without paychecks, and many households are preparing for increased health insurance costs. In addition, many local families have relatives and friends in Jamaica who are coping with the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.

In response, local food pantries and nonprofit organizations are stepping up to help fill the gap. Below are some of the community resources available to support those in need:

Cape Cod Hunger Network

Lower Cape Outreach Client Services

St. Vincent de Paul

Wellfleet Food Pantry

246 Community Kitchen

MA Fuel Assistance

The Fleet Fund

Along with the information below, you will receive a great deal of first day paperwork. Please review it and where applicable, complete and return as soon as possible this will ensure we have the most up-to-date contact information.

• Breakfast and lunch: are free again for all students! If your child eats breakfast at home and you DO NOT want them to access the breakfast offered, please let the teacher know.
• Snack: Please send your student with a healthy snack and reusable water bottle daily. We are seeking to provide a healthy snack grant on Tuesdays and Thursday, and are awaiting if we received the grant. Plan to provide a healthy snack daily until you hear otherwise.
• School Arrival: Students may arrive at school at 7:25am. Breakfast is available, and students may otherwise sit in the cafeteria until the first bell rings at 7:45am.
• Supply Lists: All school supplies are provided to our students. Thank you Wellfleet taxpayers!

• Electronics: Upon arrival, student electronics (phone/watch) should be turned off and stowed away in their backpack. If parents/caregivers need to contact your student, please call the school at 508-349-3101, and the front office can get a message to your student.

Math Spotlight: Observation October in Grades 4 & 5

This year at Wellfleet Elementary, our fourth and fifth graders are diving into new approaches to strengthen their math understanding. We are committed to ensuring that every student leaves WES with the confidence and skills to be ahead of their peers across Nauset, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and even nationwide in mathematical thinking and problem solving.

One way we are making this happen is by putting all hands on deck. Through Tier I support—meaning the high-quality instruction and interventions provided to all students in the classroom—we are using data, collaboration, and creativity to meet each child where they are. Teachers and support staff are working closely to design lessons that respond directly to what students need most.

As part of Observation October, I joined our new math support specialist, Margie Wallace, along with Ariana Bradford and our 4th and 5th grade teachers, to observe lessons in action.

• In Grade 5, students participated in a lively lesson that used fish and money to spark mathematical thinking. In small groups, they had to decide whether addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division was the correct operation to solve the problem. This hands-on activity not only required problem-solving but also encouraged teamwork and real-world application. The lesson was carefully designed using recent i-Ready and MCAS data to make sure each student was working at the right level of challenge.

• In Grade 4, students tackled one- and two-step word problems centered around rounding. Again, the teachers used recent “exit tickets”—quick assessments designed to identify areas of difficulty—to tailor instruction and give every student the chance to practice exactly what they needed most.

In both classrooms, the observations showed impressive student engagement, strong collaboration, and high interest in mathematics. Most importantly, our students were spending meaningful time on learning—an essential ingredient to building lasting math confidence and skill.

We are proud of the work our students and teachers are doing, and we are excited to see their growth this year. With teamwork, targeted instruction, and a love of learning, WES is making math a true success story.

Greetings from the WES Health Office!

I hope your children are as excited to return to school as I am! I can’t wait to see their shining faces soon. Before the year gets underway, here are a few important reminders for families:

Health Requirements & Screenings

• The state of Massachusetts requires that all students be up to date with immunizations to attend school. Exemptions include:

  • Medical: must be documented by a medical provider

  • Religious: requires an annual written statement on file

• Vision and hearing screenings take place annually. If follow-up is needed, I will send a referral letter home.

• BMI screenings are conducted in grades 1 and 4.

• Postural screenings are done in grade 5.

• Puberty education using the Our Changing Bodies curriculum is provided to grades 4 and 5. Families will receive advance notice and the opportunity to preview materials.

Medication Guidelines

• All medications require both a medical provider’s order and a parent/guardian’s written permission.

• Medications must be in the original prescription bottle with prescribing information and delivered to school by an adult. No baggies of pills in backpacks, please!

• If you’re having trouble obtaining a second inhaler for school due to insurance issues, let me know so we can problem-solve together.

• Standing orders for over-the-counter acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and Tums are included in the back-to-school forms.

Please remember—if your child’s medical situation changes during the year, reach out so we can develop an appropriate plan for their school day.

Exciting News from the Garden & Cafeteria!
Thanks to a Community Preservation Funds grant, WES will be installing new raised beds in our school gardens. This will allow us to grow, sample, and even serve more school-grown foods in the cafeteria! We’ll also be welcoming guest chefs for taste tests to inspire students to try nutrient-dense foods.

Our Fresh Fruits & Veggies Program will return this year with offerings on Tuesdays and Thursdays right outside the classrooms. We’re also excited to welcome back Farmer in the School, Stephanie Rein, for hands-on garden learning. And—our very first apple harvest from the school orchard is coming this fall!

All of this programming is designed to support the long-term health and well-being of our students, helping them build the skills to make healthy decisions for life.

Looking forward to a wonderful year ahead,
Nurse Crosen

At Wellfleet Elementary School, we pride ourselves on providing supports that will help all students be successful. WES follows a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) a framework designed to provide early intervention and support for students facing academic or behavioral challenges.

It typically begins with universal screening to identify students in need of assistance, followed by tiered interventions that increase in intensity based on the student’s response.

• Tier 1 includes classroom instruction and universal supports for all students
• Tier 2 offers additional, small-group interventions for those who need extra help, and
• Tier 3 provides intensive, individualized support for students with significant challenges.

If a student continues to struggle despite these targeted supports, the MTSS team will convene to evaluate the student’s progress and needs. If it is determined that the interventions have been insufficient and the student demonstrates significant difficulties, a referral for a special education evaluation will be made by the school.

• This evaluation assesses whether the student has a qualifying disability and requires specialized services to succeed in the educational environment, ultimately leading to the development of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) if eligibility is established.

Here is the most recent WES Waves: A Student Run Online Publication presented by our very own Mr. Staker. This is the second edition and includes reports from all students in grades Kindergarten through 5th grade. It is well worth the watch!

WES School Health Services-Resource page: Contact Mrs. Cope-Crosen for more information at copec@nausetschools.org

From Monday, April 13th through Friday, April 17th, Wellfleet Elementary School’s 5th grade students will participate in the Seashore Program, an immersive overnight environmental education experience at the National Environmental Education Development (N.E.E.D.) Academy within the Cape Cod National Seashore. Staying in a former Coast Guard Station overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and Pamet River valley, students will explore beaches, dunes, marshes, swamps, and forests while learning about the natural and cultural history of Cape Cod. Guided by lessons aligned with Massachusetts Science and Social Studies Curriculum Frameworks, they will investigate topics ranging from native ecosystems and coastal geology to the lives of Native Americans, early colonists, and the U.S. Life Saving Service. Field trips to sites like Great Island, the White Cedar Swamp, and Race Point will deepen their connection to the unique and fragile environment they call home. Evening activities such as night hikes, stargazing, and group games will foster camaraderie, while the shared the experience of living and learning together will strengthen classroom community, teamwork, and personal responsibility. For more information visit the NEED Website.

The Lawrence Fund was established in March of 2023 by Ariana Bradford (Staff Member at WES) and Joan Zukas (School Committee member and grandmother to two students at WES). The Fund was established to honor Lawrence Zukas, father to Ariana and husband to Joan. Its’ purpose is to financially support students and their families who may be in need of funds for camps, sports equipment, shoes, coats, boots, musical instruments, school supplies including technology support, etc. Request can be made to Mrs. Ariana Bradford, Mr. Adam O’Shea, Mrs. Claudia Cope or your child’s teacher. No proof of need is asked, The Lawrence Fund is just happy to help. Any additional questions can be answered by Claudia Cope at copec@nausetschools.org or by phone at (508) 349-3101.

Throughout the school year you may want to reach out to your child's teacher, or reach out to me.

All Nauset staff follow the email formatting below:

• the staff person's last name
• then the initial of their first name
• ending with @nausetschools.org

Now there is an exception to the rule: Ms. Claudia Cope-Crosen, our school nurse, is simply copec@nausetschools.org